This post is part of a seasonal community sharing series, Grow Together Tuesday. You’ll find posts from myself, and award winning gardener Monika Thiessen, of Prairie Girl Pottery. I love seeing what others are doing in their gardens, and since most of us aren’t neighbors, let’s peek over each other’s virtual fences, be inspired, and learn from one another! Post a link to your weekly garden notes, updates, photos, and more in the comments – any time this week!
Saving Summer
Monika Thiessen
I’m sure you’ll agree that nothing can quite compare to the amazingness of biting into a vine ripened, still warm from the summer sun garden tomato. If only we could enjoy that taste and warmth all year, especially in this cold climate. Well, we can!
This is the perfect time to squirrel away some of that fresh garden goodness to enjoy throughout the year. Mike and I are still enjoying a very small amount of sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) and various herbs for tea and spices from 2013.
Bergamot is the perfect oregano substitute!
If you’re new to this whole gardening thing, start simply. Harvest and dry some chamomile flowers for tea or collect and dry some herbs to season your winter soups.
Freshly harvested chamomile and calendula blossoms ready for the drying screens.
Our wonderful and much used dehydrator speeding up the drying process.
If you’re lucky enough to have berries, freezing is a super simple option.
Nothing beats freshly picked and quickly frozen berries for fall and winter treats.
Grapes are perfect for juice or jelly. Little jars of garden goodness also make gorgeous little gifts.
If you’ve got a tonne of hardy greens, chop and freeze these for quick additions to soups, sauces, frittata’s, omelettes, etc. Kale is great to sow again later in the growing season as it can deal well with frost. One of the best late (and very early) season greens for our climate.
If you don’t have your own garden but would love to save some of that summer goodness, sign up with Fruit Share! They are are wonderful organization and it’s just such a great 3-way split (you get 1/3, homeowner gets 1/3 and 1/3 is donated)! Mmm, and nothing gets that chill out of your bones quite like an apple rhubarb crisp on a cold winter day. 🙂
Canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting…the options are endless!
I’d LOVE to hear some of your tips, tricks and of course, favourite recipes! How do you eat ‘fresh from the garden’ throughout the year.
Monika Thiessen is a potter, permaculture designer, urban homesteader and all around prairie plant girl. She’s happiest with the sun on her back and her hands in the soil. To check out Monika’s pottery, visit Prairie Girl Pottery.